Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-02-09
A FEARFUL TRAGEDY.
-Four Men Slaughtered In n House on
Texas Farm.

EOuE 4'Ach IN - @@Se1S 49, -
Texas Farm.
DEKALB, TEX, February 8.-This
place was thrown into fever Of excite
ment last evening when man on horse
back came dashing into town with the in
formation that q deadly battle had been
fought about four miles northwest Of here
Four male members of family named
White were pitted against Col. John E.
Rosser, his son Willie, aged 10, and a
hired man named Mullens, resulting in the
killing of three of the Whites and Colonel
Rosser, and the wOunding of the boy. A
few minutes suflieed to impanel q jury,
who, in company with the officers and
Justice Proctor, left hurriedly for tbs
scene of blOodshed. A ride of an bour
over q rough road brought the party to the
hattie ground. The home of the White
family, log house, consisted of one room
about twenty feet square, in the center of
about 10 acres of cleared land.
The party reached the house, and were
struck with horror at the scene. On the
ground. in front of the entrance, was found
the body Of J. c. White, a bullet hole
through his breast and one through his
side. In the center of the room, in q great
pool of blood, lay Walter White, dead.
shot twice through the neck and breast.
Upon bed, in half sitting posture, was
Lawson White, dead, with q gun cooked
and clutched in his hand. A bullet hole
through his head told how he met his
death. In one corner of the room was
found ROsser's son, boy of fifteen years,
shot through the side, with Winchester
lying beside him.
Blood was everywhere and over every
thing, and the weapons that had wrought
so much destruction were scattered prOmis-
cuOusly about. But the scene of death did
not end here. A half mile further on and
the home of RoSser was reached. In the
center ola room WAS the body Of ROSser
surrounded by his weeping wife and chill
dren. He had received death wound
though the neck at the hands of old man
White, but, being man of great vitality,
after having, as he supposed. killed all the
Whites, he mounted his horse and rode to
this scene, dying as he entered his own
door.
The trouble seems to have had its origin
in law suit. A year ago the Whites
bought piece of land of the RoSsers. and,
failing to pay for it, the latter brought
suit to gain possession of the property. a
writ of diSpOSSesSiOn had been issued last
week against White, but had been recalled
for some reason and was not served. This
angered Rosser, and yesterday, in company
with his son and his hired man, all armed,
he went to the house of the Whites to
lOrcibly eject them. The elder White in
yited the party into the house. ROsser
and his son entered and made known the
object of their visit. A few words were
passed and the firing began. Old man
White staggered from the house and fell
dead in the yard, the elder RoSser empty
ing his revolver at him. The boy was in
side, and his version of it is this. The
elder White shot him and his father, and
he shot old man White once, and then
turned the Winchester upon the White
boys to keep them from shooting his father.
About fifteen shots were fired and with
deadly effect, killing four of the partici-
pants and wOunding the boy.
The hired man, Mullens, has not yet
been found and it is not known what part
he took in the awful tragedy.